


Spirits Beneath Our Skin

by I_Drink_The_Blood_of_Tea_Leaves



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Azula goes with Zuko for his banishment, Azula needs a hug, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parental Sokka, Parental Spirits, Spiritbender Sokka, Spiritbender Zuko, Sub-Optimal Gran-gran, The North Forgot, The South Remembers, The Water Tribes Have Soulmates, You know because of Push and Pull, Zuko Angst, Zuko Needs a Hug, Zuko is not a Firebender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2020-08-13 21:10:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20180779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Drink_The_Blood_of_Tea_Leaves/pseuds/I_Drink_The_Blood_of_Tea_Leaves
Summary: The Avatar is the World Spirit given physical form. Bending- of any nation- is using the spirit to bend the world. But... what about those who bend the spirit?Everything is different, and yet, nothing is when Sokka is able to affect the nonmaterial world, just like other masters of their craft.





	1. The Stars Fell Around You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rahar_Moonfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahar_Moonfire/gifts).

> Sooooooooo..... I don't know where this idea came from. But no one has done it before so I'm gonna write it instead. Let me know if you have any ideas I can incorporate into this. I'm legit excited.

Kya and Hakoda were extremely worried. Kya was having time periods where she would wander out of the village- like she is looking for something, and then have no memory of it later on. She is four months pregnant with her and Hakoda's first child, with no context of what is happening.

Hakoda's mother has only one thing to say. "What did you think would happen? We have no spirit blessed place in the village, so she is looking for one. Your son is trying to protect her, even now."

Hakoda is unsure if Kanna is correct, so one day, he walks to an uninhabited by anyone in the village, at the point where the world seems to turn, and he begins to build. He carefully smooths the ice, and then he hunts. He hunts the healthiest looking tiger seals and wolf-sharks, and takes their furs to the shaman of the tribe, a water bender over 150 years old. And he asks him to bless the structure with its eyes looking across the village and the teeth of the animals he so carefully hunted on strings, draped around it. He plants a small tree that Kanna had brought from the North kept inside, a door of found wood fitted to the entrance. There is a large dish in the center, full of water, with a beautiful mask. Hakoda had carved the mask throughout the whole of the project he from a lovely flat piece of a turtlewhale's skull.

The shaman, on the day when he has furnished the structure, and wonders what more he could do, stops him. "The Silent Guide has seen the effort you have put into building him a home inside the village. Go out and find him a mortal form to live in."

And so Hakoda packs and has the sheepwolves take him out of the village. At this point, it has been one and a half months. Hakoda is gone for three weeks, and returns on the new moon holding an owlfox kit. It is like the night sky given form, and he places it inside his structure and then declares to the village that it is the Southern Water Tribe's connection to the spirit world.

"Kya, I have built a shrine for our protector, the Silent Guide. We have a place where hopefully, you can birth our child safely inside the village."

The next time Kya wanders, she goes inside the shrine and sleeps next to The Silent Guide.

***

Hakoda seems to have built the shrine just in time because not another week passes before Kya is in the shrine, in labor. The whole of the night with the women of the village and the Silent Guide giving her company, she strives to bring her child into the world. Outside the men and children watch in awe as it seems like a million stars fall through the sky, and the ancestors dance in the heavens above the village. At midnight, A new voice cries into the village, and Hakoda rushes to the shrine to find Kya holding a son. 

"Hakoda, meet your first child, I've named him Sokka."

Hakoda brushes his son's cheek with one finger and falls a little bit more in love.

*(Three Years Later)*

Sokka grows and gains a sister, who moves water with her tears after being born, not even clean. The village seems to forget that Sokka had the ancestors dancing for him, and spirits diving past to catch a glimpse. But Sokka understands. Trokya, the shaman had passed away a year ago, and the Silent Guide didn't mind telling him stories when his parents were busy hunting, or taking care of Katara, or trying to gather food. He knows they aren't picking favorites because his dad still plays war games and his mom still teaches him to sing the turtlewhale songs, and his Papi still teaches him to hunt, even if no one else sees him. Gran-Gran still teaches him how to skin and animal and stretch the skin to draw and paint on. He knows they love him. 

Sokka looks at his Papi and frowns when Hakoda walks right through him, not noticing.

"Dad! you walked through Papi!"

Hakoda freezes, and Gran-Gran drops the pot of water she was carrying. Hakoda walks over and crouches in front of him. "Whatcha mean, Starchaser? I don't see your Papi."

Sokka laughs. "That's cuz no one c'n see Papi but me here! Cuz' you can't see the spirits."

Gran-Gran drops a bunch of beads over Sokka's head and Papi vanishes. "Don't worry Sokka, I'll keep the spirits away. Don't you ever take those beads off, you understand? Never!"

Sokka looks around confused. "Papi? Papi where'd you go?" He toddles to his feet, and Hakoda scoops him up and frowns at Kanna while taking the beads off him.

"Mother, no. Sokka has a gift, and you know here in the South we honor our Spirit-Touched. You are Northern no longer."

Kanna furiously reddens. "How dare you! The spirit-touched are harbingers of death! I will not have one in here!"

"Then return to the North. My son will not be ostracized by your superstitions when here, he is a blessing and an omen of good fortunes." Hakoda turns to set Sokka down. "Go get Katara and as the Silent Guide to teach you both about the Spirit Benders and Water Benders of ages past."

Sokka does as he's told, but he doesn't forget his Gran-Gran's words- or her words when his mother dies and his father goes to fight.

*(Fourteen Years Later)*

Sokka careful marks his face with the navy paint he was taught, the patterns of eyes and the runes of protection from other spirits marking him as something otherworldly and different. Katara is next to him, the bright silver and blue waves of Tui and La making her ethereal in her glory. They both step out of the shrine they made their home when Gran-Gran kicked Sokka out, and into the firelight. 

Sokka lets out a warbling cry, and the fire sparks green. Katara responds, higher keening and the two begin the spirit dance. Sokka seems to vanish, and then reappear around the circle, the world folding around him, while Katara, instinctively graceful, and able to perform feats of bending she cannot without the paint and dancing is his pull back into the physical. They seem to tell a story without knowing the plot, and finally the two stop, over a fire that is only embers, forehead to forehead, a sense of otherness flowing around them as Sokka appears to reflect the night sky, and Katara glows with the blessing of the Moon and Ocean. They separate and return to the shrine, fire returning to previous color and height. After washing their faces, Sokka's eyes glow.

"_Tomorrow. Tomorrow we will find our Destiny._" Then collapsing into sleep.


	2. So Now You Must Chase T(Him) Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka and Katara are alone. Their father is fighting, both to honor Mom's spirit and to protect their home. Then, Katara leaves, entranced by the ocean and something that is inside it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, I’m trying to write more again, but it’s slow going. Here’s my chapter two, and I’d appreciate any feedback!

Sokka and Katara are laughing at one of the stories the Silent Watcher is telling them, when Katara, who removed the marks of waterbending, glows where they were placed. Graceful and flowing like the ocean, power hidden in her stride, she rises and leaves the Shrine. Sokka, without the Watcher having to say a single command, follows her.

Katara crosses the village, and the sky, in the middle of the Everlasting Days, turns to night. Sokka pulls his wolf hood over his head and his eyes glow like the Spirit Lights that grace the skies. He is entirely silent, and unnoticeable to anyone else as he follows her. As they leave the village, the sky returns to normal, but Katara does not pause. She walks unerringly towards the sea and appears to be entranced by the iceberg that sits near the horizon.

Katara begins to waterbend. 

The iceberg flows towards the pair, and Sokka prowls, guarding her as this occurs. When the iceberg is closer, Katara slices the iceberg in half and pulls a huge round sphere to the coast where they stand.

"_Brother of Living and Dead, break the sphere. This one is important to the lives of both your Tribe and the World._"

Sokka doesn't hesitate, and smashes the iceberg with his Boomerang.

"_When I leave the body of this Sister Who Hold's The Ocean's Rage, You must be prepared for the arrival of Lightning in Flesh, Soul of Hearth and Home and the Dragon Who Hears The Living and the Dead. They are vital to your mission. Head north with Breeze Blowing Across the World, and find the others meant to join you. Good luck, bender._" And Katara returns to normal.

"Sokka? What..."

"We have been given a mission from Tui and La. They have ordered us North with four others, one of which was in this iceberg." Sokka explains without even needing to hear the rest of the questions.

"Well then what are we waiting for?"

*(Aboard the _Wani_)*

"Zuzu? What are you-"

Golden ray extend from the sun painted onto his forehead, and red tracks down his face. His eyes are like solid gold.

"_Lightning in Flesh, you must go and fetch Soul of Hearth and Home. Your destiny awaits._"

Azula, use to this by now, turns and flees to Iroh's cabin. She tears across the ship, and the people she passes recognize the energy and grin, rushing to places to change course, as well as possibly fight.

"Uncle! Agni spoke through Zuko! We must prepare to change course!"

"Very well, young Azula. Take me to him."

By the time they arrive back at Zuko's room, the gold is beginning to track across his face as well. 

"_Soul of Hearth and Home, move toward the __South Pole. This one is about to meet the Night to His Day. You must prepare to face the world._"

**Author's Note:**

> That last section surprised me. I was not prepared. Well, feedback is appreciated, and I'd love to know what you think!


End file.
